In the horse show world, everybody wants to move up. Riders want to be more competitive. Trainers want to help clients take the next step. Families invest time, money, and emotion into chasing improvement, and once progress starts happening, it is only natural to start looking ahead.
But what happens when one half of the team is ready before the other?
Mismatched horse and rider teams are one of the most common, and frustrating, realities in the industry. And while it can be tempting to push through and hope the gap closes on its own, most trainers agree that forcing the issue usually creates more problems than it solves.
We asked several respected professionals how they handle difficult situations when horse and rider are out of sync, and what it really takes to move a team forward without losing confidence, perspective, or progress.
Kelly McDowall — I have been fortunate enough in the past to have several customers who were willing and had the money to let me pick them a horse that fit them as a rider. To find a horse that already knows the events and understands the rider’s way of communicating with their equine partner is always the quickest way to build a competitive team. This is not always the case, however. My tactic for building a partnership out of a mismatched horse and rider team is to educate them both to the best of my ability, both separately and together. I put the rider on many horses, not just theirs, to work on their ability to communicate with different types of horses. I will also have others ride their horse so that it learns how to take direction from different people. I simply try to make the best horse that I can and the best rider that I can and hope they get together in the end. If I see that it is just not going to work, we will formulate a plan and timeframe to replace the current horse with a new one, either by leasing or selling and buying a new one.
Austin Lester — Growing up, we never bought the high-dollar horses, and sometimes we had horses that were just average and were not the fanciest, most talented horses. Frustrating at times, yes, but they always made you think outside the box and come up with new ideas on how to make them better and be successful. I would not change a thing about that either. I feel like having those horses helped shape, not only myself, but many others, into the riders they are today and made me better. Sometimes those horses that you may consider below your talent level can teach you the most and are the ones that can make you a better horseman. They allow you to figure out how to take what you may consider an average horse and turn it into something that can go on and have success at the national level.
Megan Vanderslice — In the past, I have bought a walk-trot kid their next horse for 13-and-under or novice. While she still showed her small fry horse, she was at home learning on her next horse. It was a great situation of developing a rider to match the horse. I very rarely give up on a horse or team. I am patient and will put in the extra time and encouragement to make it work.
Austin Gooding — The best course is honesty. It may not always be easy or what the clients want to hear, but at the end of the day, you can always say you were honest. That plays a huge part in being successful. As far as a rider maybe not being as capable as the horse they have, you still need to make sure it’s the right horse. A really talented green type horse is likely not going to be the fit for that type of rider. To me, a more seasoned, very broke, and very quiet horse is the best route to build confidence, learn good habits inside and outside the show pen, and enhance the rider’s skills. If a new horse is the route that both parties agree to go, and maybe the person’s budget does not allow for the perfect horse, leasing is always a good option.
Jerry Erickson — I remember a youth rider who had outgrown her beginner horse and moved up to a very good, proven horse. The horse was talented but somewhat tricky, and the rider was not riding often enough to catch up. After struggling the first year, I told the mother that every time my trailer left, this horse would be in it, and I expected them to come to whatever show I attended. They were great, and the result was two year-end high points, a Youth World Show trophy, and a Congress reserve. Sometimes the horse is not the problem. Sometimes the rider just needs more reps, more mileage, and more opportunities to learn how to manage that level of horse.
Final Thoughts
The best trainers are not just chasing talent. They are protecting confidence, building skills, and helping horses and riders meet in the middle. Because, in the long run, the smartest move is rarely the fastest one. It is the one that gives both halves of the team the best chance to succeed.
